Ribbon weave or the like



June 7 1960 H. L. BALLARD 2,939,491

RIBBON wEAvE 0R THE: LIKE Filed Oct. 28, 1959 5 4 w55 w54 vf 55 CENTRAL P05' /o/vl CH TCH C 030 PORT/0N 22 r I I' I W Fl b F 2 8 L INVENTOR 24 22 F F' Mln-.5,414,950

RIBBON WEAVE oR THE LIKE Homer Lee Ballard, Sou'tli Hill, Va., assignor to Burlington Industries, Inc., Greensboro, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Y l Y Filed oct. zs, Y1959, sepNp. 849,266

sclaims. (ci. raaf-ssa) `must be utilized as is understood. In the past such weaving arrangements allowed only a single weft thread to be passed through the fabric during each pass or pick of the traversing mechanism. The present invention is concerned with expediting the weaving operations in the manufacture of these ribbons.

Thus, it is an important object of the invention to pro vide a novel weaving arrangement particularly designed to facilitate the manufacture of ribbons, such as grosgrain ribbons, and characterized in that it permits a plurality of weft or filling threads to be woven into the fabric with each pass or pick of the traversing mechanism.

Another object resides in the provision of a novel method for producing attractive and ornamental edges in narrow woven fabrics, such as grosgrain ribbon, while allowing a pair of weft threads to be woven into the fabric with each pass or pick of the traversing `mechanism.

` Broadly stated, the present invention,` as applied to ya narrow fabric ofinterwoven warp and weft threads com"- prises: a central portion of plain weave; relatively narrow edges on either side of said central portion and including an open tape weave portion; a binder weave portion be-v tween said central portion and each of'said edges; `two weft threads -beingf arranged in each shed'in said central plain weave portion, and four weft threads being arranged inv each shed in said binder and open tape weave portions. Further objects and4 advantages of the invention 'will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The novel features of the invention may best be `made clear from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic and fragmentary plan view of a narrow woven fabric, such as grosgrain ribbon;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged plan view of a portion of an edge of a conventional grosgrain ribbon, for example, as embraced by the dotted lines in Figure 1, and illustrating a known weaving arrangement;

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 but of a ribbon embodying the present invention, and showing the manner in which the weaving pattern is repeated.

Referring to Figures l and 2, conventional grosgrain ribbon includes a main or central portion and an ornamental or decorative edge along each side thereof. The ribbon is designated in Figure l by numeral 20, theV central portion by numeral 22, and the edge portions byv numeral 24. The warp threads in the ribbon are designated by the letter W while the weft or filling threads are designated by the letter F.

Figure 2 shows the weaving arrangement and the manner in which it repeats along one edge 24 of the ribbon,

plain weave which, as shown in Figure 2, comprises a pair of weft threads F arranged in each shed formed by the Vwarp threads W. 'The edge 24 of conventional grosgrain ribbon includes an open tape or tube weave portion, and a binder weave portion is interposed between the central'portion 22 and the edge portions 24'.

'I'he binder weave is shown in Figure 2 as including two warp threads 26, 28, with a pair of weft threads F passing through each shed formed thereby. It will be noted that the sheds formed in the binder weave portion are staggered with respect to the sheds formed in the central plain weave portion 2.2, whereby the two weft threads F in each shed in the central plain weave portion will `pass through diierent sheds in the binder weave portion. Y

The open tape or tube weave portion 24 of conventional grosgrain ribbon is shown in Figure 2 as including a plurality of warp threads 30- 41. The first warp threadl 30 and the other even numbered warp threads in this portion 24 are shown as passing under three successive weft threads F, then over the next warp'thread, then under the next three warp threads, then over the next warp thread, and so on. The odd numbered warp threads in the edge 24 are shown as passing under one weft thread, then over the next three weft threads, then under one weft thread, then over the next three weft threads, and so on.

To achieve the desired ornamental effect along theA edges 24 in conventional grosgrain ribbon, a weaving arrangement such as that just describedhas been utilized.V

With such an arrangement, it is not possible to weave more than one weft thread F into the fabric at a time. In other words, to weave all of the sixteen weft threads F shown in Figure 2 into the fabric, there must be sixteen separate passes or picks, as is understood, and as should, be evident from the drawing. Thus, it is neces-y two weft or filling threads may be woven into the fabric on each pick or pass of the traversing mechanism.

lFigure 3 illustrates a part of a lgrosgrain ribbon bodyi-ng the invention, and in a view corresponding to the view shown in Figure 2 of a conventional grosgrain ribbon. For the sake of consistency, and to lfacilitate comparison between the two, similar elements have been identified in Figures 2 and 3 by similar reference numerals.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be seen that, in the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the binder weave portion comprises two warp threads 26', 28', while the open tape Weave portion constituting the edge 24' is shown as comprising twelve warp threads 30-41, thread 41 being used as a catch cord.

As in the conventional ribbon, the central portion 22 is shown as including warp threads W arranged with two weft or filling threads F in each shed formed between the warp threads. However, in the binder and open weave portions, there are four filling threads F in each shed with the sheds in the open tape weave portion 24 being staggered relative to the sheds in the binder weave portion so that two of the four filling threads F in any shed in the binder weave portion pass through one shed in the open tape weave portion, while the other two filling threads in the same shed in the binder weave portion-pass through a different shed in the open tape weave portion. The warp threads in the binder weave portion preferably are arranged so as to form the desired sheds in the manner indicated in th e .dr aw.ing.

considering the mapping-identified b y .nhern i 1'. in

Figure 3,-it will V`be seen V:that two `weftorliilling threads F' are passed simultaneou'sly-throughthe sheds .inlthecentral portion 522', and then through thesheds inl-the binder weave portion and the open tape weave` portion 24.Y These threadsfFf' thenpass over the catch-cord-'41'- as shown. "'The sheds inthe central portion 22 and in the binder weave portion are then changed, while the sheds in the open'tape weave portion24' remain-the same, whereupon vthe same twolling threads areshown as passing under'the catch cord`41 through the same shed in the open ltape-weave portion '24 through the `newly formed shed .in the binder weave portion and through the newly'formed shedin' the body or centralfportion 22', after which 'they will .pass through a similar binder weave portion and' open tape YweaveV portion along the opposite sideof the'ribbon. VThiswill'constitute pickNo. 2,'as shown in the drawing. For pick No. 3, the sheds in the body or central portion 22', and in the open tape weave portions 24"will vbe changed, While the vshed inthe binder weave portions remains the same. Pick No.y 3 will then be effected,rand the subsequent picks, identiedby numerals 4-8 in Figure 3, will take place with the sheds in the various portions of the ribbon being changed in this same pattern, as shouldbe evident from the'drawing. The entire ribbon'will be woven in this manner.

`As indicated, the binder^weavefporton and the open tape weave portion`24 of ribbon 20 willnbe -of the same design and-'characteristics on both sides of the ribbon. Thus, it is believed that the foregoing detailed description of one edge of the ribbon should be sufficient.

It will be evident that by reason of the novel weaving arrangement of the present invention, the time necessary for-weaving grosgrain ribbon,` having desired ornamental or attractive edges along both sides thereof, will be greatly minimized, thereby enabling the ribbon to be produced faster and at less expense.

vIthas been found that the-binder and open tape weave portions on the ribbon 20' of thepresent invention providea'satisfactory and acceptable rappearance and one somewhat similarto the ornamental or decorative appearancefof the. corresponding portions on 'the conventional grosgrain lribbon, for example, as shown in Figure 2.

.The present invention will thus be seen to completely and eiectively accomplish the objects enumerated hereinabove. It will be realized, however, that various changes and substitutions may be made to the specific embodiment disclosed herein for the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention, without departing from these principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the ,spirit and scope of the following claims.

" What is claimed is:

1. A narrow fabric of interwoven warp and weft threads comprising: a central portion of plain weave; relatively narrow edges on either side of said central portion and including an open tape weave portion; a binder weave portion between said central portion and each of said edges; two weft threads being arranged in each shed in said central plain Weave portion, and four weft threads being arranged in each shed in said binder and open tape Weave portions.

' 2.' The yfabric"describedin claim `l in which 'the sheds in saidopen tape-.weaveportion are staggered 'with` respect to the sheds in said binder weave portion ywhereby two of the four-weftthreads in a shed in saidbinder weave portion pass through one adjacent shed, formed by two warp threads in said vvopen-.tape weave portion, while the other two weft threads in the same shed in said binder weave portion pass through another adjacent shed formed by the same .two warp threads in said open tape weave portion.

3. The fabric defined in claim l wherein the numberV of warp threads'in said open tape weave portion is greater than the'number'in'said binder weave portion.

4.A"narrow` fabric ribbonor the like of interwoven warp and `weft threads comprising a central portion of plain V"weave, a relatively narrow edge on either vside of saidl central portion and-including an open tape weave portion,a binder weave portion between said open tape weave portion'and said central portion, a catch cord adjacent thefree edge of said open tape weave portion along eitherl edge of' said'Y ribbon, the weft threads beingarranged in pairs in each shed in said plain weave portion and twopairs ofsaid weft threads being arranged in each shed in said binder and open tape weave portions, and the weft threads alternately and in pairs passing over and under said catch cords along either edge of said ribbon.

5. The method of weaving a narrow fabric ribbon or the like having a central plain weave portion, narrowedges including an open tape weave portion, and a binder weave portion between said central plain weave portion and said open tape weave portion, said method comprising the, steps of: providing sheds in each of said'portions;

passing a pair of weft threads simultaneously through saidv sheds; changing the sheds in said binder weave portion and said central plain weave portion but not in said open tape weave portiompassing said pair of weft threads simultaneously through the sheds in all of said portions; changing the lsheds in said central plain weave portion andsaid open tape weave portion but not -in said binder :weave portion; simultaneously passing said pair of weft threads through said sheds in'all of said portions; changingA the sheds in said central plain Weave portion and said binder weave portion but not'in said open tape Weave portion; and simultaneously passing said pair of weft ,threads through 4said sheds in all of said portions.

No references cited.

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